


Birthday Wish

by ArtisticVicu



Series: Assorted Prompt Writings [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Happy Ending, Hate Speech, Original Character(s), Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23419945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtisticVicu/pseuds/ArtisticVicu
Summary: Prompt:For your eleventh birthday, you wish for your your biggest, deepest desire to come true. The next day, your house has burnt down.
Series: Assorted Prompt Writings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684657
Kudos: 1





	Birthday Wish

It was all ruined.

Huddled in the closet trying to stifle his sobs, he pressed his hands harder against his ears praying he would get swallowed by the fabric within. But no matter how hard he pressed his hands to his ears, he could still hear them screaming at each other. He wasn’t sure if one or both of them were drunk this time and, honestly, he didn’t care. He didn’t care!

He choked on another sob.

The floor outside the closet creaked and he sucked in a breath. His hands went to his mouth as he stared at the door, waiting, waiting.

“Z?”

It was nothing more than a soft whisper barely heard above the fighting outside his room. He straightened. “Mark?” he called out, his voice cracking around the words, the pitch wrong to his ears - it had always been wrong in his ears.

The closet door open enough for his older brother to slip in. The noise cut through and he curled away from it again, burying himself further into the pink and frills around him.

Mark sat so close, theirs knees brushed each other. But instead of being dark like before, he found Mark had brought in a few candles.

The two candles shaped like the number one were situated on top of a rather sad looking piece of cake. The third was one of the candles from the living room meant only for light.

“Sorry your party was ruined,” Mark spoke, his voice still low but no longer hard to hear. “I saved what I could of the cake.”

He shook his head, stubborn. “I don’t want it anymore.”

Mark’s face twisted in a way he didn’t understand. “I know, sis. But it seemed wrong for you to go without being able to make your birthday wish.”

He scrunched up his face. “That’s all pretend. They never come true.”

A tight smile pulled at Mark’s face and he thought his brother looked sadder like that. “Make the wish for me, then? Wish for whatever you want. Could be your deepest desire, even.”

He frowned but a part of him saw the joy that split the sad expression his brother wore. Clenching at his shirt, he gave a nod. Mark placed the plate between them, tucking the other candle out of the way, He watched his brother move things about in the back, patient as Mark made sure nothing would catch from the candle’s flame.

“Can I sing to you?”

He felt his ears burn but the light and excitement in his brother’s face made it impossible for him to deny him. “If you want,” he grumbled, hunkering in on himself.

Mark reached out and with a careful hand cupped the back of his head and brought their forehead together over the cake and its two candles. Softly, as the heat of the candles brushed against his face, his brother sang.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear sibling mine. Happy birthday to you.”

The urge to cry again came back ten fold and it was all he could do to swallow around the lump in his throat as he pulled away. The flames were blurry, the candles dancing like the flames had been, and it was with a deep breath that he begged for his wish - his deepest desire as his loving brother had put it - to be granted. He didn’t care what it was. As long as it was better than where they were at now.

The closet door flew open.

“The fuck you doing in there with her!”

He screamed as Mark moved between him and their dad. Sobs choked him and slowed him but it didn’t stop the man’s sharp words from cutting through the scramble.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing, faggot? I thought I told you to leave and never come back!”

“I wasn’t about to let you two ruin another birthday,” Mark spat back.

The punch caught Mark in the jaw but it seemed to barely phase Mark as he found his brother’s eyes flickering to him even as his brother threw a punch that missed and sent a kick that was blocked. “Run, Susie! Jason’s outside waiting!”

Another punch caught Mark’s other cheek, throwing the young man into the closet. He screamed as he scrambled away from the fray but a large hand wrapped around his upper arm, squeezing so hard that it was a wonder his bones didn’t just snap.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going!?”

“Leave her alone!”

His mom was his saving light but only for the instant it allowed him to break free. The woman caught him by his hair, keeping him from making it to the door.

“No! You are grounded, young lady. You do not get to leave this room.”

“No!” he screamed. His kicked and hit his mom but she was bigger than him and had a better hold. With swift movements, he found himself face first on his hated pink comforter, the smiling fruits and fairies mocking him as his mom pinned him in place.

“Get off!”

The grip on his hair tugged his head up before vanishing. Arms wrapped around him and for a moment, he panicked. But then his brother’s scent - fresh, clean, and free of any booze or smoke - washed over him and he clung with all his might to the young man carrying him.

They didn’t get far.

A shot rang out and he screamed. He didn’t mean to, hadn’t even wanted to, and some part of him wondered if the hand on the back of his head was to keep him from looking or reprimand for screaming.

“You and her are not going anywhere, faggot. Basement. Now.”

He whimpered, curling more into his brother. He didn’t want to go down in the basement. It was always dark and scary and now it was going to be worse because he and Mark were going to be trapped down there forever.

“I’ve got you,” his brother softly whispered as the basement stairs creaked under foot. “I’ve got you.”

“Faster!”

The world pitched forward before rolling around him. There were sharp thuds and jarring movements till it all stopped abruptly. Mark groaned around him. His hands - why did his hands have to be so small - grabbed at Mark’s shirt as he begged, “Mark? Mark, are you ok? Please be ok. Please be ok, Mark.”

“I’m fine,” Mark finally ground out, the words lulled together but Mark’s expression was quickly looking more determined than dazed. “Are you ok?”

He nodded, pressing his face against Mark’s collarbone as the basement stairs creaked.

“Damn. Couldn’t die on the way down. Got to make it difficult, don’t you, faggot? Like a cockroach.”

Mark didn’t respond. Instead, he got to his feet. “So. What now, Dad?”

“I’m not your father, boy. No son of mine would ever turn out to be a faggot like you.”

Mark scoffed. “Pity. Would have done this family some good if you had been open to it.”

“Shut up and hand her over before you corrupt her with your gay.”

Mark laughed and he flinched. It was sharp, hard, and not like anything he had heard before. “You’re crazy if you think I’m handing anyone over to you, let alone my little sibling.”

“Hand her over now or so help me I will make sure this bullet goes through the both of you.”

Mark’s arms tightened around him the same time those words registered in his head. Terror flashed through him and it was all he knew. He kicked, he screamed, he cried till his world suddenly snapped into clarity, his right cheek burning.

Just as suddenly, his dad was in his face, gun pointed like the man would point a finger. “Make another sound and I blow his brains out.”

He clamped his hands over his mouth, choking on who knew what as the man stepped away.

“Now, what are we going to do with you?”

He focused on his brother and whimpered behind his hands. There was blood on his brother’s face, one arm, and chest. He looked horrible but Mark’s eyes were clear as they locked onto him.

“Z, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

His brother kept talking. “Z, I need you to close your eyes and cover your ears. You block it all out till help arrives, ok? Can you do that for me, Z?”

“Shut up, already!”

The man smacked Mark across the face with the gun but those sharp eyes snapped back to him. “Close your eyes and cover your ears. It’ll be ok.”

“Stop talking!”

Another punch to the face. Another unwavering gaze. “Do it, Z.”

A kick to the gut. A flinch but the gaze came back steady. “For me.”

He squeezed his eyes shut as he brought his knees up to hide his face, hands pressing into his ears so hard, it hurt. He could still hear, though, so he started humming. 

He wasn’t sure what it was but it was noise enough.

It was starting to get warm.

For a brief moment, he thought he heard Mark calling for him. He almost looked up but his brother had told him to block everything out, so he kept at it.

Why was it getting hard to breathe?

“Z!”

He jerked back from the hands grabbing him. The room was dark and what he could make out wasn’t making sense. All he knew, though, was that the person grabbing him wasn’t Mark.

But it wasn’t his dad, either.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” the stranger urged, voice muffled by the strange thing on their face. “Just stay still and keep your face hidden.”

He nodded, burying himself into the stranger’s hold and waiting for it to all be over.

“Z!”

His head came up despite the stranger’s orders as cold air made him shiver. He watched Mark break away from the strangers he had been with and come running over.

“Mark!” he called out, throwing his arms to his brother to the point of nearly knocking himself out of the stranger’s hold.

Mark was there, though, scooping him out of the stranger’s arms into a bear hug. He sobbed into his brother’s neck, clinging in the desperate hope of never being separated again.

“Hey there, kiddo,” came a familiar, gruff voice. He peaked up to look at Jason. The young man offered him a tight smile, tears streaming down dusty cheeks. One of Jason’s large hands buried itself in his hair. “You hangin’ in there?”

He nodded as the stranger that had brought him to safety came over. “We need to get you both to the hospital. Especially her. There was quite a bit of smoke down there.”

“Is it ok if I drive them?” Jason cut in, his voice unusually small.

Mark’s voice filled in the space right behind Jason’s. “I would feel better if he drove us.”

“Let the paramedic check her over first. As long as they say she’s in no immediate danger, that’s fine, but it’s best to go straight to the ER as soon as they give the go ahead.”

He felt Mark relax around him. “Thank you.”

After that, everything else was a blur of noise and colors. By the time everything seemed to stop, they were alone in a white room. Jason had one of the chairs occupied while he sat in Mark’s lap on the medical bed. He must have fallen asleep because he woke to the sound of someone knocking.

“Mark Tenner?”

“That’s me,” his brother confirmed, the young man’s voice rumbling through him. “What can we help you with, Officer Briggins?”

“Oh, good. You’re all here. That will make this easier. I need to ask your sister some questions, if she’s feeling up to it, and then I also have the information on the fire from the fire department.”

Mark moved about underneath him and he brought his head up. He was so tired.

“Z? This is Officer Briggins. Can he ask you a few things?”

He nodded, leaning against his brother again.

“Suzie?” Habitually, he looked to the officer upon the sound of his name. He hated that name. “I’m going to ask five questions. I want you to give me as much information as you can, ok?”

He nodded.

The officer left after what felt like an eternity. Half asleep against his brother’s chest, he listened to the other two talk.

“All gone.”

Mark hummed an affirmation. “Good riddance to it, too. What time is it? I can’t see the clock from here?”

There was a pause before Jason replied, “3:04.”

“Will you be ok driving us home?”

“You won’t sleep for the ride so I’m not worried about it. Besides, I’ve got enough adrenaline running through me to keep me up for the next week.”

Mark huffed a laugh. “I hear ya on that.”

He shifted, gingerly pressing his face against the bandage wrapped around Mark’s shoulder. “You going to be ok?” he muttered.

Mark’s hand carded through his hair. “Yeah.You’ll see. I’ll be chasing you around in no time.”

“Even with the things he did?”

Mark’s arms tightened around him. “Z, that man can’t harm either of us anymore, ok? You can’t go back and I wouldn’t let you even if you could. You’ll come live with Jason and me and we’ll get through this. I promise.”

“As long as I don’t have a pink bed again,” he whined and the others laughed. 

“Don’t worry, Z. You can have whatever kind of bed you want. It might just take some time getting, ok?”

“Ok.”

“Come on, Zack! Smile!” He made another face and she smacked him. “Zack, come on. It’s for the school paper.”

He rolled his eyes, grinning. “I don’t think anyone actually reads the paper.”

There was a click. “Haha!” she cheered, holding the camera’s display screen up to her face, shielding it from the sun. “Doesn’t matter,” she responded, flicking through the pictures. “I want a good picture for my article and you’re the only one that showed up.”

He chuckled at that. “That’s because everyone else is still in class. Give them a few more minutes and they’ll be here.”

An arm wrapped around his shoulders before it was followed by a different one. He was suddenly pinned between two very similar bodies and he wrapped his arms around both of their waists.

“Nikki giving you trouble again, Zack?” the one on his right asked.

The one on his left barely let a breath pass before they added, “Nikki, we told you we were going to be late.”

“And for that, you two don’t get your photos taken. End of story.”

“Awe, but Nikki,” the one on his right whined, letting him go.

“You can’t just do our beloved Zack,” the one on his left whined in turn, wrapping both arms snugly around his waist. He laughed, wrapping his arm around their shoulders instead, very amused.

“It’s unfair,” the one that had been on his right finished, pulling on Nikki’s arm.

“And what do you two think you are doing?”

The identical twins gave identical squawks as they put distance between themselves and him and Nikki. The burly man that had walked over gave the pair a look down his nose before crossing to Nikki. “They bugging you, sweet?”

She laughed, happily leaning into the man’s embrace, both mindful of the camera. “Oh please. The day those two get too much to handle is the day I drink an entire bottle of vodka.”

The smell of cigarette smoke touched him as another body joined the party. “Ooo, we drinking? Who’s house we partying at?”

“Hey Miles,” he happily greeted.

Forever looking disheveled unless there was a very specific reason not to, Miles gave a nod, bouncing the rats nest they called hair. “Hey, Speedy. Anyone else here?”

“My brother said he and Jason would drop by when they were off of work. Should be in a few minutes, actually.”

“Good.” Miles shoved their cigarette between their lips again. “He owes me money.”

Another joined the group, slipping in on Miles’s other side. “Oh? Which one this time?”

“Hey Brice,” he greeted as Miles clarified, “The short one.”

“Jason then?” the burly man still wrapped around Nikki asked.

Brice chuckled. “I think she meant Mark, Derrek.”

“I do indeed,” Miles confirmed. She pointed her cigarette at Derrek. “Everyone’s short compared to you.”

That got a round of laughs from everyone.

“Z!”

He turned at the faint sound of his brother’s preferred pet name for him. Even transitioning hadn’t broken his brother of it, though his choice of names had only seemed to encourage Mark’s enjoyment.

He doubted he could ever find a reason to tell Mark to stop calling him ‘Z’ even if he wanted to.

“Sweet,” Jason spoke. “Everyone’s here.”

“Bout time, too,” Nikki cut in before anything else could be said. “Alright, people. Let’s get moving before I lose all my natural light for this.”

The group started moving and he found himself in the back of the group with Mark. Jason was a bit ahead of them chatting with Brice and Miles and it quickly became apparent that it had been on purpose.

“So…” Mark started, letting the word hang between them briefly. “Did you ever get it?”

“Get what?”

“Your deepest desire.”

He blinked, looking over at Mark. The other’s expression was tight but he could see the hope there.

And the guilt.

Endearment shot through him as he huffed a laugh. A soft smile pulled at his lips as he looked at those ahead of him, those that had accepted him for who he was and had become the family he never realized he had needed. He focused back on Mark, the whole reason behind why he had this family now and no matter how many scars he bore, he would always be grateful for his brother coming in and destroying the life he had thought he was ok with.

“Yeah. Yeah I did.”


End file.
